Bottle closure



F. J. DAVIS Feb. 28, 1939.

BOTTLE GLOSURE v Filed Feb. 25, 1937 f. /JJ f 4 S Patented Feb. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE CLOSURE hauer, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 25, 1937, Serial No. 127,678

3 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to bottle closures or stoppers, and particularly to a stopper for attachment to a bottle to render the bottle non-rei'lllable.

One object of the present invention is to provide a stopper, which may be assembled outside the bottle and inserted complete in the neck of a bottle after the bottle has been filled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stopper having novel means associated therewith for securing portions of the stopper together, and wherein portions of said means are adapted to cooperate with a binding member positioned in the neck portion of a bottle to prevent relative displacement of the respective portions of the stopper structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stopper having a ball valve, and wherein yieldable means` are employed for normally retaining the ball on a valve'seat in a manner to prevent relling of the bottle and yet permit the dispensing of lluid therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel stopper structure wherein a minimum of metal is. employed inits construction and operation.

Aiurther object of the invention is to provide a bottle stopper adapted for attachment to a particular type of bottle neck. construction.

A still further object of the invention is to improve devices of the character described in sundry detailsr hereinafter referred to and particularly pointed outin the appended claims..

One. embodiment of the present invention is shown for illustrative purposes in the accompanying drawing, in which.:

Fig. l is a sectional elevational View of a bottle neck illustrating the application. of my improved stopper thereto;

Fig. 2 is a. sectional elevational view of the structure illustratedA in. Fig. l-L, and taken. substantially as indicated by theline 2--2` thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view taken substantially asindicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4- is. an exploded. view illustrating in perspective certain cooperating elements employedY inthe, construction of my improved stopper; and

Fig. 5-is a. fragmentary plan sectional view of aV portion of thestructureshownin Fig. 3, and illustrating ar slightly modied construction of a portion of the.l structure shown therein.

This. invention isgin part, an improvement on the Bottle closure of my copending application, Serial No. 87,029, filed` June 24, 1936, and in the drawing of the present application the illustrativeembodiment of the invention is shown applied to a particular form of bottle neck 5 having an internal annular groove or recess 6, the illustrative embodiment of the improved stopper, in the present instance, comprising a body member indicated, as a whole, by the numeral 'I' and formed, preferably, of glass, the member 'l having an aperture 8 formed therein communicating with the interior of the bottle and having a valve seat 9 formed adjacent and surrounding one end of the aperture 8, the valve seat 9 being adapted to receive a valve member shown, in the present instance, and preferably, as a glass ball II, for closing the aperture 8 when the bottle is in upright position.

For securing the body member I rigidly within the neck of the bottle, the outer sides of a portion oi the body member 'l are provided with a plurality of annular grooves I2 adapted to be engaged by a sleeve I3 formed, preferably, of compressible, resilient material such as cork, rubber or the like adapted to iit snugly within the neck of the bottle and, as in the illustrative embodiment, to extend into the annular groove 6 of the bottle neck 5 in a manner to secure the body member 'I more rigidly therein.

Mounted on the body member 1 and surrounding the ball valve member II is a cap member indicated, as a whole, by the numeral I4 and formed, preferably, of glass or the like, the cap member having a cylindrical portion I5 formed thereon adjacent its lower end adapted to rest on the body member l, and retained in substantial alignment therewith by a boss I6 formed on the body member, the cap member being provided With an upper end portion Il connected to the cylindrical portion I5 by a plurality of annularly spaced ball retaining bars I8 adapted to cooperate with the portion I'I for retaining the ball valve member I I against displacement from operative relationship with respect to the valve seat 9, the spacing of the bars I8 providing apertures I9 to permit discharge of fluid from the body of the bottle outwardly to the mouth portion thereof which, in the present instance, is shown as having an ordinary closure member or cork 2U placedv therein after the bottle has been filled and my improved stopper has been insertedl in proper position, the cork 20 being desirable in the shipping or transporting of the bottles after being lled.

Positioned between the portion I'1 of the cap member I4 and the ball valve member I I is a compressionA spring 2I of suitable tension and of substantially truncated cone shape having its smaller upperendfportion retained in proper position with respect to the portion I1 by means of the stud 22 and its lower or larger end portion being retained in proper relation with respect to the valve meinber II by reason of the convex crv spherical form of the ball I I.

It will be noted particularly by reference to Fig. 4 that the portion I1 of the cap member I4 is cut away as indicated at 23 to permit the passage of uid from the bottle when dispensing the fluid therefrom, and by reference to Figs. l and 2, it Will be noted that the cylindrical portion I5 of the cap member I4 extends above the plane of the center of the ball valve member I I in a manner to prevent the insertion of an implement, tool or other device for raising the ball from its seat in an effort to refill the bottle after the fluid has been dispensed therefrom.

For securing the body member 1 and cap member I4 together, the body member 1 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending channels 24 formed in its annular face portion, and with laterally annularly extending recesses 25 adjacent the lower ends of the channels 24 and forming a lateral extension or continuation thereof, while the cap member I4 is provided with a plurality or corresponding number of longitudinally extending fingers 26 extending downwardly from the cylindrical portion I5 of the cap member I4 and provided with laterally extending lugs 21 adjacent their lower ends, the fingers 26 and lugs 21 being adapted to enter the respective channels 24 as illustrated in Fig. 1 and by a slight relative rotation of the body member 1 and cap member I4, the lugs 21 will be positioned in the recesses 25 in a manner to secure the members 1 and I4 against relative displacement longitudinally with respect to each other.

For securing the body member 1 and cap member I4 against relative angular displacement, and for retaining the lugs 21 within the recesses 25, it will be noted by reference to Fig. 3 that when the assembled closure, including the sleeve I3, is forced into the bottle neck 5, a portion of the sleeve material adjacent the channels 24 will be forced or pressed inwardly into the channels as indicated at 28, in a manner to engage the fingers 26 and to resist relative rotation of the body and cap members, thereby securing the lugs 21 against displacement with respect to the recesses 25 after my improved stopper has been positioned within the neck of the bottle.

For protecting the resilient cork or rubber sleeve I3 against tampering from outside the bottle, and for preventing the insertion of a tube or similar implement through the member I3 for the purpose of gaining access to the interior of the bottle, the cylindrical portion I5 of the cap member I4 is provided with an outwardly extending annular shoulder 29 adapted to extend to closely adjacent the inner surface of the neck 5, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and in a manner to permit the insertion of the stopper within the neck portion of the bottle and at the same time prevent the passage of any implement, tool or the like between the shoulder 29 and the inner surface of the neck 5. The shoulder 29 also serves to facilitate positioning of the assembled stopper and sleeve I3 within the bottle neck by providing a surface for engaging the upper end portion of the sleeve I3 as the stopper and sleeve are forced into the neck 5 of the bottle.

By reference to Fig. 5 it will be observed that in lieu of depending upon the inwardly pressed portion 28 of the sleeve I3 for preventing relative rotary movement of the body member 'I and cap member I4, a flller block 3I may be positioned in the channel 24 after the members 1 and I4 have been rotated relatively to position the lug 21 within the recess 25, thereby retaining the members 1 and I4 against relative rotary movement. It will be observed also that by reason of the sleeve I3 surrounding the member 1 below the shoulder 29 of the cap member I4, the ller block 3l will be retained against accidental displacement with respect to the channel 24.

It will be observed from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a bottle stopper of novel construction and arrangement, which may be assembled outside the bottle and inserted complete in the neck portion thereof after the bottle has been filled, and in a manner to4 prevent relling of the bottle after the contents have been dispensed therefrom.

It will be observed also that the present invention provides novel means for securing certain portions of the stopper together and which are adapted to cooperate with resilient means in the neck portion of the bottle to prevent relative displacement of said means and portions of the stopper structure with respect to each other.

Obviously, the present invention is not limited to the precise construction and arrangement shown and described as the same may be variously modified. Moreover, all the features of the invention need not be used conjointly as the same may be used to advantage in variously different combinations and subcombinations.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a stopper for attachment to a bottle to render the same non-rellable, the combination of a body member rigidly secured in the neck of a bottle, said member having an aperture formed therein communicating with the interior of the bottle and having a valve seat surrounding said aperture, an apertured cap member engaging said body member, a valve member engageable with said seat, said body member having a plurality of annularly spaced channels formed in the outer face thereof and having laterally extending recesses adjacent the respective lower ends of said channels, a plurality of annularly spaced fingers on said cap member adapted to enter the respective channels, laterally extending lugs on the respective fingers engaging said recesses for securing the cap and body members together, and means positioned in said channels between a side thereof and an adjacent side of said fingers for securing said cap and body members against relative displacement angularly with respect to each other.

2. In a stopper for attachment to a bottle to render the same non-rellable, the combination of a body member rigidly secured in the neck of a bottle, said member having an aperture formed therein communicating with the interior of the bottle and having a valve seat surrounding said aperture, an apertured cap member engaging said body member, a valve member engageable with said seat, said body member having a plurality of annularly spaced channels formed in the outer face thereof and having laterally extending recesses adjacent the respective lower ends of said channels, a plurality of annularly spaced ngers on said cap member adapted to enter the respective channels, laterally extending lugs on the respective ngers engaging said recesses for securing the cap and body members together, and a sleeve of compressible material surrounding said body member and adapted to be pressed into said channels and into engagement with said flngera for securing said cap and body members against relative displacement with respect to each other.

3. In a stopper for attachment to a bottle to render the same non-refillable, the combination of a body member rigidly secured in the neck of a bottle, said member having an aperture formed therein communicating with the interior of the bottle and having a valve seat surrounding said aperture, an apertured cap member rotatably mounted on and with respect to said body member, a valve member movably mounted in said cap and engageable with said seat, said body member having a plurality of annularly spaced channels formed in the outer face thereof and having laterally extending recesses adjacent the respective lower ends of said channels, a plurality of annularly spaced fingers on said cap member adapted to enter the respective channels, laterally extending lugs on the respective fingers engageable with said recesses when the cap member and ngers are rotated on the body member for securing the cap and body members against displacement longitudinally With respect to each other, and a sleeve of compressible resilient material surrounding said body member and adapted to be pressed into said channels and into engagement with said fingers for securing the fingers and cap member against angular movement with respect to said body member and for securing said lugs against displacement with respect to said recesses.

FRANK J. DAVIS. 

